Hinged gear-trip for automatic cotton-presses.



E. R. ALSEY. HINGED GEAR TRIP FOR AUTOMATIC COTTON PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, 1916- 1 ,21 4, 1 1 2. Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

ELLSWORTH R. ALSEY, PABAGGULD, ARKANSAS. I

nmenn GEAR-TRIP FOR AUTOMATIC oo'rroiv-rnnssns.

Specification of Letters .Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1917.

Application filed February 9, 1916. Serial No. 77,175.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that L'ELLSWORTH R. ALsnY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paragould, in the county of Greene, State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Hinged Gear-Trip for Automatic Cotton- Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the art of presses and particularly to the revolving double box cotton press type, and more especially to a hinged gear trip for throwing the operating mechanism, for feeding the cotton, out of gear while the tamper or plunger of the cotton press is on its downward stroke tamping or packing the cotton into the press box.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved sectional hinged trip,

the upper'section of which, maybe thrown downwardly upon its hinged connection, thereby avoiding striking trip lever, thereby preventing the feeding mechanism from being thrown in gear, that is, when the tamper or plunger is in its raised position, vnereby the turn table or platform may be revolved to remove the filled press box out of alinement with the tamper-or plunger and the empty press box into alinement with the tamper or plunger. In other words, to prevent feeding of the cotton when interchanging the press boxes.

Another ob ect of the invention is the provision of means for manually cutting off the smaller particles or motes, when the feeding mechanism is stopped, and while interchanging the press boxes, thereby preventing waste of such particles or motes.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 isa view in perspective of a double box cotton press of the revoluble type, showing some of the parts thereof in elevation, and illustrating the hinged gear trip as applied. Fig. 2 is a view in perspective of the hinged sectional gear trip. Fig. dis a view in side elevation of the sectional hinged gear trip. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective View of the means for manually cutting off the particles and motes in their flow through the chute when the feeding mechanism is out of gear. Fig. 5 is a detail view diagrammatically showing the lever 17 and the lever 17, showing the positions of said parts, when the friction clutch end 17 is out of engagement with the hub of the sprocket 17 Referring more especially to the draw ings, 1 designates the cotton press as a whole of the double press box type, in which the turn table 2 is revoluble, whereby the press boxes 3 and 1 may be interchanged. Mounted upon the taper or plunger 5 and secured thereto by means of suitable screws 6 is a trip device 7. The screws 6 pass through the apertures 8 of the horizontal portion 9 of the trip device, which is anguar. device comprises the two sections 10, and 11, which are hingedly united as at 12. A coil spring 13 has one end 14: connected at 15 to one edge of the section 11, whereas the body portion of the coil spring extends downwardly for a portion of its length adjacent one edge of the section 11, and overlies the corner of the vertical arm, and also extends adjacent one face of the vertical arm, and has its other end attached at 15 to the lower portionv of one of the faces of the vertical arm. It is to be noted that the spring is so arranged as to holdthe upper section 1.1 in alinement with the lower section 10, the spring, of course, being under tension. However, when the section 11 is thrown downwardly upon the hinge connection the spring. is relaxed. The tamper or plunger or box head is operated in the usual manner, therefore, when the tamper or plunger reaches its uppermost position the cam end 16 of the upper section 11 of the trips device engages a right angle end of the trip lever 17, which in turn is tilted upon its pivot 17, so that through the slot connection 17 the lever 17 is tilted upon its pivot 17 thereby throwing the friction clutch end 17 upwardly in direction of the arrow at from engagement with the hub and sprocket 17, so as to permit the operating sprockets and chains of the feeding mechanism to operate, thereby causing the feeding mechanism to feed cotton into the press ,box 4. The tamper or plunger remains up for a short interval while the cotton is feed ing. The tamper or plunger then proceeds on its downward stroke, and the act of the The vertical arm of the angular trip cam end 16 of the section 11 disengaging from the trip lever 17 causes the longer arm of said lever 17 to oscillate downwardly on its pivot owing to the weight 17 thereby causing the friction clutch end 17 of the lever 17 c to frictionally contact with the hub of the sprocket 17", and causing the feeding mechanism to cease feeding, while the tamper or plunger is on its downward movement tamping and packing cotton into the press box. After the press box 3 is filled, the coupling or connecting or holding rods 18 are disconnected from the lower part of the box 8 as at 19, after which the turn table or platform 2 is revolved, so as to bring the press box 4 into position to be filled. However, when changing the press boxes the operator throws the section 11 of the arm 7 of the tripping device downwardly, just before the tamper or plunger reaches its uppermost position on its final stroke, thereby preventing the lever 17 from being con tacted with and operated by the cam end 16 of the arm 7 of the tripping device, in which case the feeding mechanism does not operate, thereby preventing waste of the cotton. After the press boxes have been changed, however, the upper section 11 of the arm 7 is thrown to its initial position in alinement with the section 10.

Hinged at 20 to the bottom of the chute 21 of the cotton press or tamping machine is a cut-off member 22. This member 22 is tapered in cross section, and has its thin edge hinged to the bottom of the chute. The cutoff member 22 extends transversely ofthe chute, and is provided with an extension arm 23 on one end, which arm plays in the seg-V mental slot 24 in the side of the chute. Pivoted to the side. 25 of the chute, as at-26 is a catch lever 27, under tension of the spring 28. An abutment lug 29 projects laterally from the side 25 of the chute and acts to limit the lever 27 in its downward movement. When it is desired to cut off the motes and smaller particles of cotton, when changing the press boxes, the cut-off member 22 is thrown to a vertical position, so that the in cross section. V The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is: V

' 1. In a multiple box cotton press, the combmation of a frame, a tamper mounted therein, of a starting and stopping trip lever for the feeding means of the press, a device carried by the tamper to cooperate with the trip lever to trip the same, said trip device comprising anangular member comprising a vertical arm and a horizontal arm extending at right angles to each other, the horizontal arm being secured to the tamper, said vertical arm having a hinged section adapted to be thrown down on its hinged connection to avoid contacting with the trip lever when the tamper reaches its uppermost position, while changing the press boxes, said hinged section having an upper cam end, and spring means to hold the hinged section vertically.

2. In a hinged gear trip for automatic cotton presses, the combinationof a frame and a tamper mounted therein, of a starting and stopping trip lever for the feeding means of the press, a device carried by the tamper and having an arm, an extension hinged to said arm, a spring for holding the extension alined with said arm so that the upperend of the extension may trip the trip lever, said spring also constituting means to hold'the extension swung downwardly, whereby the extension avoids cooperating with said lever,

when changing the press boxes.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

I ELLSWORTH R. ALSEY. V \Vitnesses V R. B. MALIN, F. H. FORD.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 7 

